The 16 qualifying teams played best-of-seven series in the conference quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. Each conference champion proceeded to the Stanley Cup Finals. These playoffs marked the first time the Minnesota Wild qualified, in only their third season in the NHL. The Minnesota Wild, a sixth-seed, made an unlikely advance to the Western Conference Finals as underdogs after being down three games to one in two consecutive rounds.

Despite losing to the Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals, Mighty Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player during the playoffs, marking only the fifth time that the Trophy had ever been awarded to a player on the losing team.

The series opened at Corel Centre in Ottawa, where New York goaltender Garth Snow posted a 25-save shutout in a 3–0 victory. Hoping to avoid losing the first two games at home, the Senators returned the favor in game two, with goaltender Patrick Lalime posting a 16-save shutout and the Ottawa attack chasing Snow from goal in favor of Rick DiPietro.

Tied at one game apiece, the series then shifted to New York's Nassau Coliseum. Game 3 featured the first in which both teams scored in the same game, but Ottawa won the game 2:25 into double overtime, 3–2, on a Todd White goal, his second of the game. The loss hurt the Islanders' morale, and Ottawa took advantage with a 3–1 Game 4 victory, scoring two first-period goals to take the Islanders out of it early. Ottawa closed out the series the next night back at home, winning the Game 5 4–1 as well as the series 4–1.

The series opened at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, and Game 1 was a defensive battle in an ultimate 2–1 Devils victory behind two goals from Jamie Langenbrunner. New Jersey then took control of the series with a 4–2 victory in Game 2.

Down 2–0 in the series but heading home to FleetCenter, Boston adjusting their lineup, replacing goaltender Steve Shields, who allowed six goals in the first two games, in favor of Jeff Hackett. The shakeup did not do much, however, as the Devils shut-out in the Bruins in Game 3, 3–0, with Martin Brodeur stopping all 29 shots he faced. Down three games and on the brink of elimination, Boston responded in Game 4, winning the game 5–1 and forcing Brodeur out of the game the fifth goal in favor of backup Corey Schwab, who saved six of six shots in relief.

Unfortunately for the Bruins and their fans, however, they had only "stayed their execution" until Game 4 in New Jersey, where Brodeur bounced back from his horrid game four with a 28-save shutout in a 3–0 win as Jamie Langenbrunner added two more goals.

The series opened at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, and the Lightning offense ran into a brick wall in net, as Washington goaltender Olaf Kolzig stopped all 28 shots he faced in a 3–0 victory. Game 2 saw Tampa take 43 shots on net, a sign that Washington's defense softened, but Washington shelled Lightning goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin in a 6–3 victory, including two goals apiece from Peter Bondra and Jaromir Jagr. Tampa Bay was in trouble — they had to win four out of the next five games, with three at Washington's MCI Center.

Washington returned home to a raucous home crowd, buoyed by their success in Florida. The Lightning eked out a must-win in Game 3, a 4–3 victory when Vincent Lecavalier scored the game-winner 2:29 into overtime. In Game 4, Tampa Bay stole the momentum headed back home in a 3–1 victory. The Capitals now saw themselves in trouble: they had no momentum, and two of the next three games were in Florida. Tampa posted a 2–1 victory in Game 5 to push the Capitals to the brink. Game 6 in Washington went to overtime as the Capitals tried to hang on to force a Game 7, and neither team gave an inch as the game went to triple-overtime. Finally, Martin St. Louis ended the game and the series. Tampa Bay goalie Khabibulin faced 61 shots in goal during Game 6. The Capitals would later go on to miss the playoffs every year until 2008.

The series opened at Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, and the goals were plentiful in a 5–3 Toronto victory. Toronto took advantage of their few opportunities: Philadelphia goalie Roman Cechmanek only faced 14 shots but allowed four goals (the fifth was an empty-netter), including a hat-trick by Alexander Mogilny. The Flyers then bounced back with a 4–1 Game 2 victory to tie the series at 1–1.

The series shifted venue to Air Canada Centre in Toronto for Game 3, where the Maple Leafs won in double-overtime, 4–3, on a goal by defenseman Tomas Kaberle, his second of the game. Game 4 went even longer, but Philadelphia won the game, 3–2, 13:54 into triple overtime on a goal by Mark Recchi, his second of the game. The series returned to Philadelphia for Game 5, an eventual 4–1 Flyers win.

With Toronto facing elimination but playing a home game for Game 6, the Maple Leafs pulled out a 2–1, double-overtime victory on a goal by Travis Green to force a deciding Game 7 in Philadelphia. The Flyers then barraged Toronto goalie Ed Belfour, who allowed six goals in a 6–1 Philadelphia win that sent them to the Conference Semifinals.

Shawn Horcoff's goal at 7:10 of the second period held up as Edmonton won Game 1, 2–1. Game 2, a 6–1 Dallas victory, was highlighted by two goals from Scott Young. In Game 3, the Oilers used three third period goals to win the game, 3–2. Dallas evened the series with a Game 4 victory, winning the game 3–1. Mike Modano scored three points in a 5–2 victory for Dallas in Game 5. Dallas eliminated Edmonton in Game 6 with a 3–2 victory.

In Game 1 of the series, Luc Robitaille's shot in the first overtime almost ended the contest, as several of the Detroit players had even left the ice to head to the locker room believing that they had won the game. However, after video review it was concluded that Robitaille's shot had ricocheted off the crossbar and the post and the players were subsequently brought back to resume the game. At 3:18 of the third overtime period, Paul Kariya scored to clinch a 2–1 win for Anaheim. In Game 2, Anaheim came back from a one-goal deficit by scoring twice in the third period to earn a 3–2 victory and a 2–0 series lead. Anaheim pushed the Red Wings to the brink of elimination with a one-goal victory in Game 3. In Game 4, the Mighty Ducks completed their sweep of the Red Wings. The Mighty Ducks prevailed in the fourth consecutive one goal game of the series by virtue of a 3–2 victory when Steve Rucchin scored at 6:53 of the first overtime period. The Red Wings became only the second defending Stanley Cup champions to be swept the following year in a four-game first round series, the other being the 1952 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Minnesota scored three times in 4:20 in the second period and won Game 1, 4–2. Milan Hejduk recored a goal and an assist in Game 2 as the Avalanche tied the series at one, with a 3–2 victory. In Game 3, Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy posted an 18-save shutout in a 3–0 victory. Joe Sakic scored twice and added an assist in Game 4 as Colorado won the game by a score of 3–1. During Game 4, Minnesota Head Coach Jacques Lemaire put Manny Fernandez into goal after starting goaltender Dwayne Roloson allowed two goals in the first eight minutes of the game.

Minnesota jumped out to a 3–0 lead after two periods of play in Game 5 and managed to hang on to the victory despite a comeback attempt by the Avalanche in the third period, winning the game 3–2. After a scoreless first 40 minutes in Game 6, each team scored twice in the third period and the game went to overtime tied at two. Minnesota ended the game when Richard Park scored his second goal of the game at 4:22 of the first overtime to force a seventh game in Denver. In Game 7, the teams again played to a 2–2 tie after 60 minutes, but Andrew Brunette ended the game and the series 3:25 into overtime to give the Wild a stunning series comeback victory. This was also the last game of Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy's career, as he would announce his retirement during the following off-season.

The series opened at GM Place in Vancouver, where St. Louis scored two goals in each period, rolling to a 6–0 game one victory that saw Blues goalie Chris Osgood post a 20-save shutout. Game two was a different story, however: Canucks goaltender Dan Cloutier recovered from a horrid game one to only allow one goal in a 2–1 Vancouver win that tied the series, 1–1. Also notable from this game was the loss of Blues captain Al MacInnis to a separated shoulder following a check to the glass behind the Blues net.

Game 3 was held at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, and Osgood turned in another stellar performance, allowing only one goal in a 3–1 Blues victory. The Blues cranked out more offensive firepower in a 4–1 Game 4 victory that pushed Vancouver to the brink. Vancouver had their work cut out for them: they had to win the next three games, but two of them were at home if the series went that far.

Vancouver, held to just four goals in series up to that point, finally opened up in Game 5, a 5–3 Canucks victory. This game was notable as a number of St. Louis players became ill with influenza prior to the game and played in a weakened state. Game 6 saw the Canucks race out to a 4–1 lead and then hang on for 4–3 victory that forced a decisive Game 7 back in Vancouver. With all of their momentum lost, St. Louis allowed four unanswered goals in game seven as Vancouver easily won the game, 4–1, and the series, 4–3. Al MacInnis returned from the shoulder injury suffered in Game 2 of this series to try to inspire his team to victory, but was not at full strength and was a non-factor in the game.

The series opened at Corel Centre in Ottawa, where the Senators used three second-period goals to win game one, 4–2. Game 2 saw Flyers goalie Roman Cechmanek post his first shutout of the post-season (33 saves) in a 2–0 Philadelphia victory that tied the series, 1–1.

Game 3 was at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, and Ottawa took the series lead with a 3–2 overtime victory, with Wade Redden scoring his first goal of the postseason 6:43 in. Cechmanek again came through in Game 4, posting his second shutout of the series as the Flyers won the game, 1–0, on a goal by Michal Handzus.

The series returned to Ottawa for Game 5, where the Senators shelled Cechmanek in a 5–2 victory. Game 5 also saw Robert Esche appear in goal for the Flyers, and he went 13-for-14 after Ottawa's fourth goal. The Senators finished off the job in Game 6 with a 5–1 victory in Philadelphia, with four of the Ottawa scorers in game five turning in a repeat performance.

The series opened at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, where the Devils scored three third-period goals to break a scoreless tie en route to a 3–0 Game 1 victory with goalie Martin Brodeur posting a 15-save shutout in the process. Game 2 was a little tenser, with New Jersey rallying from a third-period deficit and winning the game 2:09 into overtime, 3–2, on a goal by Jamie Langenbrunner.

At home at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, the Lightning jumped out to a 3–0 first-period lead, then watched New Jersey tie the score before scoring in the third period on a goal by Dave Andreychuk to win the game, 4–3. The Devils responded by winning Game 4, 3–1, to push the Lightning to the brink. The Devils ended the series with a 2–1 triple-overtime victory in Game 5, with Grant Marshall scoring the game-winning goal 11:12 into the sixth period.

The series opened at American Airlines Center in Dallas, where the heavily-favored Stars and underdog Ducks engaged in an epic battle that took over 140 minutes and four overtimes to decide before Anaheim's Petr Sykora scored the game-winner 47 seconds into the fifth overtime, winning the game for the Ducks, 4–3. Dallas goaltender Marty Turco saw 54 shots while his Anaheim counterpart, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, saw 63. It was the fourth longest playoff game in NHL history. Game two saw another game tied after 60 minutes, but this time, Anaheim needed only 1:44 to win the game in the first overtime, 3–2, on a goal by Mike Leclerc. Dallas, much like Detroit in its first-round series against the Ducks, faced a 2–0 deficit headed to Anaheim.

Game 3 at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim was a must-win for the Stars, and they came through, winning the game 2–1, which handed the Mighty Ducks their first lost of the playoffs. But the Mighty Ducks won Game 4, 1–0, behind a 28-save shutout from Giguere. The Stars did not want to be eliminated in front of their home fans, a motivated Dallas team captured Game 5, 4–1. The Mighty Ducks eliminated Stars in Game 6 by a 4–3 scoreline.

The series opened at GM Place in Vancouver, where the Canucks took Game 1 in overtime, 4–3, on a game-winning power-play goal by Trent Klatt 3:42 in. They had previously forced overtime after Matt Cooke's tying goal came with just 2.3 seconds remaining in regulation time. The Wild rebounded in Game 2 with a 3–2 victory that tied the series at 1–1. The series then shifted venue to the Xcel Energy Center for Game 3, which the Canucks won 3–2. With a 3–2 overtime victory in Game 4, the fourth consecutive one-goal game of the series, Vancouver was poised to eliminate Minnesota, up in the series 3–1 with two of the next three games at home.

But this scenario was nothing new to the Wild; they had eliminated the third-seeded Avalanche in seven games in the first round after losing three of the first four. And, like the first round, they had to go on the road for games five and seven. In what appeared to be a case of déjà vu, Minnesota Head Coach Jacques Lemaire changed goalies again, this time re-inserting Dwayne Roloson, who replaced an ineffective Manny Fernandez.

In Game 5 in Vancouver, the Wild annihilated Canucks goaltender Dan Cloutier, who went 15-for-21 in saves and was pulled in favor of Alex Auld, who went four-for-five. Minnesota's goal spurt came in the second period, when they scored five goals en route to a 7–2 victory. Spurred on by their thrashing of the Canucks in Game 5, the Wild came out at home in Game 6, scoring three third-period goals en route to a 5–1 victory that forced a Game 7. After their blowout losses in Games 5 and 6, the Canucks returned home and built up a 2–0 second period lead before collapsing as the Wild won Game 7, 4–2.

The series opened at Corel Centre in Ottawa, where the Senators took Game 1 in overtime, 3–2, when Shaun Van Allen tipped in a pass from Martin Havlat 3:08 in. New Jersey tied the series at 1–1 with a crucial victory in Game 2, 4–1. It marked the first time Ottawa goaltender Patrick Lalime allowed more than two goals in 12 post-season games.

Game 3 at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey saw an amazing defensive battle, but New Jersey prevailed 1–0 on a first-period goal by Sergei Brylin, with Martin Brodeur posting a 24-save shutout for the Devils in the process. New Jersey appeared to have the series in control when they broke a 2–2 tie in Game 4 with three third-period goals en route to a 5–2 win, and they led in the series, 3–1. But, it wasn't over yet, as Minnesota (twice) and Vancouver rebounded from 3–1 series deficits earlier in the playoffs.

Ottawa returned home for game five, not wanting to lose in front of their fans. They staved off elimination with a 3–1 victory. The tense action resumed back in New Jersey for Game 6, as the teams entered overtime tied 1–1; all the Devils needed was a goal to knock out the Senators. The death blow did not come in Game 6, however, as Chris Phillips scored the game-winning goal 15:52 into overtime in the 2–1 Senators victory. This would be the Devils' only home loss of the playoffs.

Determined not to suffer the same misfortunes as Colorado, St. Louis and Vancouver, the Devils broke through in Game 7, winning 3–2 as Jeff Friesen knocked in the series-winning goal with just over two minutes to play to send New Jersey to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the decisive game, the Devils benefited from a two-goal performance by Jamie Langenbrunner, his first goals of the series.

This was the first Western Conference Final since 1994 to not feature either the Detroit Red Wings or the Colorado Avalanche. In Game 1, Petr Sykora scored at 8:06 into double-overtime in a 1–0 Mighty Ducks victory, which brought the Mighty Ducks their second shutout of the playoffs. Jean-Sebastien Giguere turned in a stellar performance in net for Anaheim, stopping all 39 shots he faced. Minnesota Wild started Dwayne Roloson instead of Manny Fernandez in net for the Wild, though the decision proved ill-fated, as the Mighty Ducks nonetheless won Game 2, 2–0, both goals coming short-handed, as Giguere stopped all 24 shots he faced, making him 63-for-63 in the series for back-to-back shutouts.

In Game 3, Giguere continued his goaltending excellency, stopping all 35 shots he faced in a 4–0 Mighty Ducks victory. Giguere, in recording his third consecutive shutout, had now stopped the first 98 shots he saw in the series. In Game 4, the Mighty Ducks won the game 2–1, with both goals coming from Adam Oates. The Mighty Ducks headed to their first Stanley cup ever, earning their second sweep of the playoffs. The consolation for the Wild was they avoided a fourth consecutive shutout, as Andrew Brunette scored the first Minnesota goal of the series. Regardless, Giguere went 122-for-123 in the series for an impressive .992 save percentage.

There was a tie for the playoff point lead between Jamie Langenbrunner and Scott Niedermayer, both of the New Jersey Devils and both with 18 points. Langenbrunner led the playoffs with 11 goals and Niedermayer led the playoffs with 16 assists. The 18 points to lead the playoffs was the lowest total since the 1968–69 season.